Work holder for pressing machines



Sept. 3, 1935. F. A. HEIDENFELDER WORK HOLDER FOR PRESSING MACHINE FiledJuly 12, 1950 fiecixljfsialenfezdek- .fere with the operator making thePatented Sept. 3, 1935 PATENT OFFICE WORK HOLDER'FOR ranssmo MACHINESFred A; Heidenfeider, Chicago, 111., assignor to The American LaundryMachinery Company Cincinnati, Ohio, a corporation of OhioApplicationluly 12, 1930, Serial No. 467,491

9 Claims.

My invention relates to an attachment for pressing machines and,particularly, to an attachment commonly known asa tail clamp which isadapted to hold the tail of a shirt in such position on the buck of apress that it may be proper- 7 1y pressedwhile, at the same time,relieve the operator of the necessity of the use of the hands forholdingthe work in proper position thereon until the movable pressing memberreaches such position relative to the pressing buck as to pre ventanymovement or distortion of the work.

Heretofore, there have been numerous types of tail clamps some of whichembodied simply a flexible band secured on one side of the pressing buckand adapted tobe drawn over the buck and any work thereon and securedonthe other side ofthe buck to hold thework in position. Other typeshave embodied a swinging carrier frame adapted to be swung to: suchposition" as to place the clamping band crosswise of the buck and theWork thereon or to such position as" to remove the clamping-band fromthe buck and work,

:qMy invention contemplatesthe provision of a tailclarnp embodying aflexible band mounted on a frame together with power operated mechanismand controlmeans for swinging the carrier frame and clamping band to'such position that the clamping band will .bedisposed cross-wise of thebuck and over the'work thereon, the same mechanism being adapted to movethe carrier frame downwardlyas a unit whereby the clampingband will bemoved downwardly on the WOIk'Wlth a direct vertical andno longitudinalmovement of the band, and for moving the carrier'frame' and clampingband vertically upwardly and then swinging the frame and band to suchposition relative to the pressing buckthat it will notinterproper lay ofwork on thepressing buck. .wVarious other objects andadvantageousfeatures of. my invention may be seen inthe followingdescription and one embodiment thereof may be seen in the accompanyingdrawing wherein similar characters of reference designate correspondingparts, and wherein: l

i Fig. 1 is an elevation, partly in section; showing a tail clampconstructed in accordance with. my invention and the operating means:therefor, the

tail clamp being in operative position relative to the pressingbuck; andFig. 2 is an elevation of r the tail clamp in operating mechanism shownin Fig. 1 showing the clamp out of operative relationwith the pressingbuck.

yReferring to the-drawing and particularly Fig. 1 thereof, 1 havediagrammatically shown part of a pressing machine which may be of anywellknown type and which consists of the usual pressing table l andpressing buck 2, all being suitably supported on a frame 3.

In accordance with my-inventin, I have provided a tail clamping deviceconsisting of a flexible band 4 that is adapted to extend cross-wise ofthe buck 2 and hold any work tobe. pressed thereon, the flexible band 4being supported by a carrier frame 5 disposed beneath the buck 2 whenthe clamping band 4 is in operative relation with the buck. Suchclamping band is attached to the carrier frame 5 by means of suitablesecuring means 6.' v

The carrier frame 5 is mounted on the uppermostendof a shaft 1 rotatablyand reciprocably mounted in a bracket 8 that may be secured to the frameof the pressing machine in any wellkno-wn manner and connected to apiston rod 1', the bracket 8 embodying an extension 9 which supports acylinder NJ having-a piston ll therein and mounted on the piston rod 1,the piston ll being operated by air pressure from a main line I2 throughauxiliary lines 13 and M that respectively lead to the cylinder Illabove and below the piston l. I Flow of air pressure to the cylinder I0is controlled by avalve l5. l

' As shown in the drawing, the bracket 8 embodies a portion I6 having acam groove I I therein that extends vertically for a portion of; its 30,length and then circumferentially around a part of the, portion l6 ofthe bracket. A pin l8 having aroller l9 thereon extends outwardly fromthe shaft 1, and is adapted to follow the cam groove H and rotate theshaft a given distance either inone direction or the other during thereciprocation of the shaft 1 by following the circumferentially disposedpart of the groove. This rotation will result in swinging of the carrierframe .5 and clamping band 4 into or out of op- 40 erative relation withthe buck 2.

In the operation of this device, it being assumed that the carrier frameand clamping band are in the position shown in Fig. 1 in which theclamping bandA is in cooperative relation withrthe pressing buck 2, thevalve I5 is operated in such manner that fluid pressure flows from thepipe l2, through the pipe M and to the under surface of the pistonflllto force the piston H, piston rod 'IQand shaft upwardly. The valve 65 isso arranged that the fluid pressure above the piston II will escapethrough the pipe l3 and valve I 5 to the atmosphere. Upward movement ofthe piston I l and connected parts, including the shaft 1, will move thecarrier frame 5 and clamping 555 band 4 vertically upwardly off the buckand the work thereon so long as the pin and roller l8 and I9 follow thevertically extending portion of the cam groove ll. This movement servesto release the work on the buck without any distortion thereof due tolongitudinal movement of the clamping band 4. Then, when the pin androller l8 and ifi strike the circumferentially disposed portion of thecam groove H, the shaft I will be rotated which will swing the carrierframe 5 that is ri idly attached thereto tothe position in Fig. 2wherein the carrier frame and clamp ing band are disposed at the rear ofthe buck and extend in the same general longitudinal direction. I I

The pressed work having been taken from the buck and another lay madethereon, the valve.

I5 is operated to permit fluid under pressure to flow through the pipel2, pipe i3 and to the upper surface of the piston II to move the pistondownwardly. As in the previously described movement of the piston, thevalve I5 is so arranged that fluid under pressure against the un derside of the piston will then escape through the pipe it and valve E5 tothe atmosphere. At the beginning of the downward movement of the pistonH and its connected parts hereinbefore described, the pin and roller l8and I9 traveling in the circumferentially directed portion of the camgroove i! will first swing the carrier frame 5 and clamping band 4 tothe position shown in Fig. 1 wherein the carrier frame is below the buckand the clamping band above and cross-wise thereof. Continued downwardmovement of the piston it will bring thepin and roller [8 and IS intothe vertically extending position of the cam groove H whereby theclamping band 4. will be moved directly vertically downwardly onto thebuck without anylongitudinal movement thereof, the parts being soarranged that the clamping hand will have assumed its positioncross-wise of the buck before the downward vertical movement begins andsuch downward movement will continue until the parts are in theposition. shown in Fig. 1 wherein the work will be securely held on thebuck by the clamping band 4.

Referring to the drawing and the preceding description, it will be seenthat I have provided a device of the class described embodying numer-0115 novel and advantageous features. For instance, I have provided aclamping band and carrier frame together with a power operated mechanismtherefor of such nature that the clamping band may be swung cross-wisethe buck by the simple operation of a control element which may be inproximity with the other controls of the pressing machine and will bemoved directly vertically downwardly without any longitudinal movementof the clamping band. This is'highly important in that it will preventany distortion of the work by the clamping band moving into engagementtherewith.

Another advantageous feature resides in the fact that the carrier frameand clamping band may be swung either to a position wherein the clampingband will be crosswise of the buck or to such position as to extend inthe same general longitudinal direction as the buck and be disposed toone side thereof and will move automaticallydownwardly onto the work ordirectly upwardly off of the work depending on the direction ofoperation of the valve. Various other advantageous features will bereadily apparent.

What I claim is:

1. In combination with a pressing machine including a support and abuck, a carrier frame, a clamping band mounted on said frame, and poweroperated means for swinging said clamping band over said buck and saidcarrier frame under said buck and moving said clamping band intoengagement with said buck or with work thereon, said poweroperated-means embodying a cylinder and piston construction, avertically extending reciprocable shaft on which said clamping band ismounted, a stationary cam groove, and a pin and roller on said shaft andadapted to travel in said cam groove to swing said shaft and move saidclamping band into and out of operative position relative to said buck.

2. A work clamping unit for a pressing machine having a frame and a worksupporting buck, said unit comprising a clamping band for holding workon said buck, a support for said band carried by said pressing machineframe and mounted on a vertical pivot, motor means for swinging saidband laterally into and out of working alignment withsaid buck and formoving said band vertically into and out of clamping engagement withsaid buck, and means for controlling the operation of the said motormeans.

3. A work clamping unit for a pressing machine having a frame and a worksupporting buck, said unit comprising a clamping band for holding workon said buck, a support for said band carried by said pressing machineframe and mounted on a vertical pivot disposed at the rear of said buck,motor means for swinging said band laterally into and out of workingalignment with said buck and for moving said band vertically into andout of clamping engagement with said buck, and means for controlling theoperation of said motor means.

4. A work clamping unit for a pressing machine having a frame and a worksupporting buck, said unit comprising a clamping band for holding workon said buck, a support for said band carried by said pressing machineframe and mounted on a vertical pivot disposed at the rear of said buck,motor means for swinging said band laterally from an inoperativeposition substantially parallel with the longitudinal axis of said buckinto and out of working alignment with said buck and for moving saidband in a direct vertical line into and out of clamping engagement withsaid buck, and means for controlling the operation of said motor means.

5. In combination with a pressing machine including a supporting frameand a buck, a clamping band for holding work on said buck, a pivotallymounted support for said band, and power operated means for swingingsaid clamping band into and out of working alignment with said buck andinto and out of clamping engagement therewith, said power operated meansembodying a cylinder and piston construction, a vertically extendingreciprocable shaft on which said clamping band is mounted, a stationarycam groove in said cylinder having a portion arranged at an acute angleto the axis of the shaft and another portion parallel to the shaft, anda pin and roller on said shaft and adapted to travel in said cam grooveto swing said shaft and move said clamping band into and out of workingalignment with said buck and into and out of clamping engagementtherewith.

6. A pressing machine including in combination elongated upper and lowerpressing elements having relative movement one toward and from theother; a work grip cooperating with the low- .er pressing element; meanssupporting the work grip for movement toward and away from one end ofthe lower pressing element, in the direction of the length of the lowerpressing element, 1

work grip in a reverse manner out of operative position.

7. In a pressing machine, a work supporting member, a work grip forcooperation with said work supporting member, a bracket, a carriage forsaid work grip mounted in said bracket for pivotal and slidablemovement, the pivotal movement of said carriage effecting movement ofsaid work grip back and forth between an outof-the-way position and aposition overlying said work supporting member and the slidable movementof said carriage effecting'movement of said work grip back and forthbetween said overlying position'and a position in clamping engagementwith said work supporting member, and means for actuating said carriageto effect such pivotal and slidable movement of the work grip carriedthereby. j a

8. In a pressing machine, a work supporting member, a work grip forcooperation with said work supporting member, a bracket,a carriage forsaid work grip mounted in said bracket for pivota1 and slidablemovement, the pivotal movement of said carriage efiecting movement ofsaid work grip back and forth between an out-of-theway position and aposition overlying said work supporting member and the slidable movementof said carriage effecting movement of said work grip back and forthbetween said overlying position and a position in clamping engagementwith said work supporting member, means for actuating said carriage toeffect such pivotal and slidable movement of the work grip carriedthereby, and means for limiting the pivotal movement of said carriagewhen said work grip has reached said overlying position after movementfrom said outof-the-way position.

9. Ina pressing machine, a work supporting member, a work grip forcooperation with said work supporting member, means for supporting thework grip for movement over the end of said Work supporting member intoandout of position over the margin of the work supporting face of saidmember and for movement vertically toward and from said member, andmeans for actuating the work grip to successively move the same fromsaid margin of said work supporting member and then move the work griprectilinearly toward the work supporting member to grip work thereon andfor moving said work grip out of operative position in reverse order.

' FRED A. HEIDENFELDER.

